Chapter 92: Jiao Cang "Delicate Concealment" (Are You the One)

 FlamingoBees 

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 Jiao Cang "Delicate Concealment" / Are You the One

 Chapter 92: 

 

Liu Mian Tang’s timely distraction did indeed capture Cui Xingzhou’s attention.

Knowing his mother’s delicate health and the urgency of her condition, Cui Xingzhou prioritized taking her back for treatment. He momentarily set aside concerns about the four brothers and headed up the mountain to fetch his mother.

When the Old Princess Consort Chu had finished cleaning her face and had her hair done by Fang Xie, she was finally presentable. Seeing her son, she was overwhelmed with relief and wept as she embraced him.

Cui Xingzhou looked around the humble mountain shelter, noting the simple pot of rice and the scant clothing Liu Mian Tang had used to keep his mother warm. A mix of emotions surged within him—fear, guilt, and anger intertwined.

Reflecting on his years of military service, he had faced countless battles and endured immense hardship. Yet, now that he was used by the court, it seemed they wanted to discard him without hesitation.

With the new emperor’s rule still shaky, unable to deter external threats, Cui Xingzhou found himself fighting on the front lines while individuals like Prince Sui exploited the situation. They had taken advantage of his absence to invade Zhenzhou and threaten his family, intending to leverage them for their own gain.

Had it not been for Liu Mian Tang’s vigilance and timely intervention, rescuing his mother, Cui Xingzhou might have found himself restrained and in a difficult situation.

As he looked past his tearful mother to the woman directing Fang Xie and Bi Cao in packing things, he saw her—still delicate and slender—yet in crucial moments, she had become his strongest support. For the first time in his life, Cui Xingzhou felt profound gratitude to the heavens for bringing him to such a remarkable woman.

Learning from Fan Hu that Liu Mian Tang had personally ventured into the cold river to save his mother, Cui Xingzhou felt as though his heart was being tightly clenched by an iron fist. The water was so cold, and her injured limbs—how could she withstand such hardship?

He resolved that he would never allow his woman to put herself in such danger again, nor would he ever be used as a pawn for others’ schemes. The grudge against Sui would be repaid tenfold.

With this in mind, Cui Xingzhou decided to bring both his mother and Liu Mian Tang back to Zhenzhou together.

Throughout the journey, Liu Mian Tang appeared exhausted, speaking very little. She leaned against the carriage window, staring blankly at the passing scenery, seemingly lost in the recent harrowing experiences.

Cui Xingzhou looked at his mother, who was sleeping peacefully in the swaying carriage, and reached out to hold Liu Mian Tang’s hand.

Her thoughts were stirred by his firm grip. She looked up and asked, “Have we arrived at the manor?”

Cui Xingzhou smiled and pulled her into his embrace, softly saying, “What are you thinking? We haven’t even entered the city yet.”

Liu Mian Tang couldn’t quite share her previous thoughts, so she smiled and carefully asked, “Has the chaos in Dongzhou been resolved?”

Cui Xingzhou nodded, then shook his head, saying, “Although the rebellion has temporarily subsided, the rebel leader, King Lu, has escaped with injuries and hasn’t been captured yet. I won’t feel at ease until we have him in custody.”

Liu Mian Tang tightened her grip and replied, “They’re just a group of rebels taking advantage of the famine. Their cause is lost, and they are like stray dogs. You’re giving them too much credit.”

Cui Xingzhou raised an eyebrow and said, “The scouts I sent reported that those rebels seem to be connected with Lu Wen. They claimed Lu Wen was killed by me and are seeking revenge for their former master. It’s as if Lu Wen and Zi Yu are not the same person… Do you remember someone named Lu Wen from Yangshan?”

Liu Mian Tang’s expression changed slightly. She pushed Cui Xingzhou and said, “Didn’t you say you wouldn’t mention Zi Yu? Why bring him up again? I can’t recall anything from those years in Yangshan…”

Cui Xingzhou thought she was upset about him bringing up her past connection with Zi Yu, so he chuckled softly and said, “I’m sorry for mentioning it. I’ll make it up to you tonight…”

He then pulled her close, whispering, “I’ve missed you so much these days that it feels like my bones are aching. Once we get back, we’ll get married…”

However, Liu Mian Tang’s thoughts were far from the wedding she had once faintly anticipated. After a moment, she asked quietly, “If Lu Wen is still alive, what would you do with him, Your Highness?”

Hearing this, Cui Xingzhou’s gaze turned cold. “If that person isn’t the one currently in the imperial court… I would certainly hold him accountable for the old grievances.”

When Cui Xingzhou had dealt with the Yangshan banditry, Lu Wen had been cunning and difficult to handle. Cui Xingzhou thought he had forgotten those past events, but the recent conflict in Dongzhou had stirred up all those old memories.

If it hadn’t been for the remnants of Lu Wen’s old forces causing trouble, he wouldn’t have had to leave Zhenzhou and put his mother and Liu Mian Tang in danger.

With this thought, Cui Xingzhou’s eyes filled with a fierce murderous intent.

Liu Mian Tang, well-acquainted with the subtle changes in Cui Xingzhou’s expressions, noticed that although he usually kept his emotions in check, his face was now filled with anger and hatred when mentioning Lu Wen. It was an intimidating sight, like looking into a bottomless abyss.

For a moment, Liu Mian Tang had nothing more to say. She simply wanted to find a place to rest and consider whether she should confront Cui Xingzhou about her forgotten past or continue to hide it and seek an opportunity to sever their ties.

However, finding a place to rest was proving to be quite a challenge.

The corpses in the Prince Mansion residence had already been removed, and while the inner courtyard was still in decent condition, the outer courtyard had suffered severe damage during the bandit attack and needed extensive repairs. The inner courtyard had also been looted and vandalized, requiring significant restoration.

However, in times of need, true friendship shines brightly. The Marquis's residence had sent a cordial invitation through a letter from the Old Marchioness, offering the family a place to stay temporarily.

Cui Xingzhou, knowing that his mother needed a comfortable place to rest, agreed to her staying at the Marquis' residence. However, he didn’t allow Liu Mian Tang to accompany them.

Liu Mian Tang looked at the disarray in the inner courtyard and said to Cui Xingzhou, “I would also like to go with the Old Princess Connor. At least at the Marquis' residence, I could have a proper bath and some rest. It’s impossible to stay here in such chaos.”

Cui Xingzhou held her and said, “The Marquis is also in the residence. If you go, his attention will be divided. I’ve had someone prepare the study for us. We can stay there tonight. After being apart for so long, don’t you miss me?”

Liu Mian Tang then realized that Cui Xingzhou was a bit jealous. In fact, she missed him a little too. Despite his usually serious demeanor, Cui Xingzhou was quite adept in bed, and the experiences she had with him were something many women might never feel in their lifetime. Over time, it really did make one nostalgic...

However, with everything going on, Liu Mian Tang felt somewhat restrained and preoccupied. She hadn’t had a proper bath for several days and had little inclination to indulge in playfulness.

Nevertheless, Cui Xingzhou brought out all his resourceful tricks from their hasty marches and wilderness nights. In the chaotic study, where there was no bed, he used brickwork to support a large door panel, covered it with thick quilts, and made a makeshift bed that was surprisingly decent.

For bathing, he borrowed a tub from the Marquis' residence and transported it by cart. After heating up two large pots of water, Liu Mian Tang could finally enjoy a thorough and refreshing bath.

After her bath, she was once again a fragrant beauty. The two of them, reunited after a long separation, spent time together playfully on the makeshift bed in the study.

At first, Cui Xingzhou was cautious, making sure the makeshift bed wasn’t too noisy. However, as their passion escalated, the fragile door panel couldn’t handle the strain and suddenly collapsed with a loud crack.

In that moment, the normally invincible prince on horseback twisted his back while trying to protect Liu Mian Tang underneath him.

Seeing the mess caused by the overturned door panel, Liu Mian Tang couldn’t help but laugh and cry at the same time. She supported Cui Xingzhou and said, “I think I should stay at the Marquis' residence tomorrow! If this happens again and something more serious gets injured, what will we do?”

Cui Xingzhou pinched her nose and said, “You dare say anything! If something were to break, just think about how you’d spend the rest of your life!”

It was too late to call for help, so the two of them ended up laying out blankets on the floor and spent the night together there.

Exhausted from their playful antics, Liu Mian Tang fell asleep quickly, while Cui Xingzhou, bathed in moonlight, couldn’t take his eyes off the delicate beauty in his arms.

By the next morning, however, Cui Xingzhou’s back had become quite painful, likely from the cold. He had to send for a doctor to attend to his injury.

Just as Zhao Quan arrived to check on Liu Mian Tang and provide treatment for Cui Xingzhou, he naturally inquired about the cause of the injury.

Cui Xingzhou, however, only mentioned that he had slept on a makeshift door panel the previous night and accidentally fell off. He didn’t go into details.

Zhao Quan, being perceptive, noticed the maid Bi Cao and heard that the Princess had also injured her arm, apparently from falling off the same door panel. Connecting the dots, Zhao Quan realized what must have happened and felt a mix of annoyance and disdain.

“I thought you were homeless and pitiful,” Zhao Quan said with a hint of sarcasm. “But it seems you’ve managed to turn hardship into pleasure, dragging the princess into sleeping on a door panel with you. No wonder people say, ‘Men fear choosing the wrong profession, women fear marrying the wrong man.’ If she had chosen someone like me, she wouldn’t have to endure such hardships and sleep in a broken-down house.”

Cui Xingzhou wasn’t pleased with Zhao Quan’s comments and interrupted, “My household has many affairs to attend to, so we won’t keep you any longer. Please prepare the medicine and leave.”

Zhao Quan didn’t leave right away. He took his time, administering acupuncture to Cui Xingzhou's waist while asking, “My mother asked me to inquire about something. I’ve heard that your aunt’s family was also captured by the bandits. Have there been any updates?”

Cui Xingzhou had learned afterward that his aunt’s family was involved in the incident that nearly led to his mother’s abduction. Though he was still angry with Lian Chu's family, he was aware that his mother was deeply distressed upon hearing that her sister had been taken. She had wept and blamed herself for not taking better care of her sister.

If Lian Chu's family met with an unfortunate end, Cui Xingzhou's mother would likely carry an emotional burden for the rest of her life. Though he was frustrated with the family, he couldn’t completely disregard their plight and let them perish.

However, when Prince Sui tried to mediate through intermediaries, Cui Xingzhou did not relent. He continued to delay the exchange, maintaining that he had not captured Prince Sui's consort and heir but that bandits had acted under his name. He urged the Sui Wang to investigate the matter thoroughly.

Meanwhile, Cui Xingzhou's side made use of the banditry rules to demand a substantial ransom from the Sui Wang. Given the significant damages to the Prince Huiyang's estate, it was only fair that Prince Sui cover the costs for repairs.

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